USC Los Angeles townhouse rentals: current listings and prices

If you want more room than a typical apartment gives you, USC Los Angeles townhouse rentals are worth a close look. A townhouse usually spreads living space over more than one level, which can make shared living feel a little less cramped. Below you'll find two current townhouse listings and one two-bedroom comparison from the USC off-campus listings page, with the price, bedroom count, lease type and drive time for each one.

It's the end of October, so a lot of students are doing two searches at once: something for the spring semester and something for next fall. Townhouses tend to suit both, as long as the lease terms line up with your plans. Every listing here was posted by the property owner, and each one is marked as open now, although the move-in dates on the listings themselves have already passed, so you'll want to ask each owner what the current timing looks like.

Begin your search at Off-Campus Universe, where you can browse current listings near Los Angeles.

1197 San Marino Ave is a 2 bedroom, 1 bath rental listed at $2,895/month. It's unfurnished and listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. It isn't listed as a townhouse, so treat it as a two-bedroom comparison point. The lease is a Year Lease (12 Months), and the listed timing is 5/1/2025. Since that date has passed, ask the owner whether the start date is flexible and when you could actually move in. Splitting a two-bedroom with one other person is often the simplest shared setup there is.

Private room for $1200 is a furnished townhouse with 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, listed at $1,200/month and 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. The lease type reads "month to month ,3-6-8 months or 1 year lease", so this one offers the widest range of lease lengths in the group. The listed timing is 7/18/2026, which is in the past, so check the current start date with the owner. The title mentions a private room, so ask exactly what the $1,200/month covers before you compare it with the others.

Gather Your Crew: 5 Beds, 3 Baths, Near is a furnished townhouse with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths at $1,199/month, listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. The room type is a Private Room, and the listing is set up to rent by the room. It runs on a Year Lease (12 Months) with a listed timing of 8/1/2026. That date has gone by, so ask the owner which rooms are still open and when the lease would start for you.

What a townhouse rental near campus can look like

These three listings show how wide the range can be. At one end there's a two-bedroom, unfurnished place. At the other end there are five-bedroom furnished townhouses where the setup is closer to renting a room in a shared house. Same search, very different living situations.

Furnishing is one of the first things to sort out. Two of the three listings are furnished, which saves you buying a bed, desk and sofa for a semester or a year. The unfurnished option gives you more control over the space, but budget for furniture and moving costs on top of the monthly rent.

Drive time is the other big difference. All three are listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. If you won't have a car, ask each owner how residents usually get to campus and plan a test trip at the time of day you'd normally travel.

Lease flexibility separates them too. Two run on a Year Lease (12 Months) and one lists month to month alongside 3, 6, 8 month and 1 year options. That range matters at this time of year, when some students only need a spring place and others are already lining up next fall.

USC Los Angeles townhouse rentals: how to compare them fairly

When you compare USC Los Angeles townhouse rentals, start by working out what the listed price actually covers. A $2,895/month figure for a two-bedroom unit and a $1,199/month figure on a listing that rents by the room are not measuring the same thing. Ask every owner whether the price is for the whole townhouse or for one room, and how many people would share the kitchen and bathrooms.

Next, look at the lease. Two of these listings run on a Year Lease (12 Months), which works well if you're planning for next fall and want to stay put. The listing with month to month and shorter options could suit you better if you only need a place for spring, or if your plans after May aren't settled yet. Ask whether the price changes with the lease length, because shorter terms sometimes cost more each month.

Then think about who you'll live with. In a five-bedroom townhouse you might be sharing with people you haven't met yet. Ask the owner how housemates are matched, whether you can meet them before signing, and how shared costs like utilities are split. None of the listings here spell out utilities, so get that answer in writing.

Finally, read the lease itself before you pay anything. Check the start and end dates, the deposit amount, the rules for guests and subletting, and what happens if a housemate leaves early. A good owner will be happy to walk you through it.

It also helps to keep a simple comparison sheet as you go. List each townhouse with its price, what the price covers, the number of bedrooms and baths, the lease length, the drive time and the furnishing. Add a column for the answers you get from each owner about utilities, move-in dates and deposits. Seeing everything in one place makes it much easier to spot which option really fits your budget and schedule, rather than going with whichever one you saw first.

Tips for renting a townhouse off campus

• Ask the owner for the current move-in date, since the listed timing on all three listings has already passed even though each one is marked as open now.

• Confirm whether the price is for the whole unit or a single room, and how many people share each bathroom.

• Ask what utilities and internet cost each month and who sets them up, so you can compare the true monthly total.

• Tour the townhouse in person or by video call, and check the stairs, storage and noise between floors before you commit.

Ready to find your place? Browse all listings at Off-Campus Universe.

This article is provided by an independent housing resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the University of Southern California.